Beverage carton

ABSTRACT

A one-piece beverage carton has two handle panels, two side panels, two fascia panels, a primary bottom panel, a secondary bottom panel and two side bottom panels. The handle panels abut each other and have hand holes formed therethrough. The side panels are formed adjacent to the handle panels and each side panel has a structural strip and two folding strips being shorter than, formed on and folding along opposite edges of the structural strip. The fascia panels have a top edge and are connected to the handle panels by at two partitions formed on and folded against the fascia and handle panels. The bottom panels are formed on and folded against the fascia and side panels to form a bottom of the carton. The beverage carton therefore creates less material waste, is strong and easily folded for storage and transportation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a beverage carton, and more particularly to a beverage carton that is made of one-piece so is strong, is conveniently flattened for storage and creates little material waste thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

2. Description of Related Art

A conventional beverage carton is used to carry and store beverage bottles and usually has a casing, a handle panel and multiple spacing panels. The casing has a chamber, a bottom and four side panels. The side panels are connected to the bottom to form the chamber of the casing. The handle panel is connected to the bottom and two opposite side panels of the casing for carrying the casing and divides the chamber into two. The spacing panels are respectively connected to the handle panel and the side panels of the casing, therefore, dividing the chamber into multiple partitions for storing beverage bottles.

However, the conventional beverage carton also has the following shortcomings.

1. Because the conventional beverage carton comprises the casing, handle panel and multiple spacing panels, a cost and time for manufacturing the conventional beverage carton is high and time-consuming.

2. The conventional beverage carton usually has a solid body, such that to store and transport the conventional beverage carton requires a large space and is inconvenient.

3. The conventional beverage cartoon is made from more than one piece that require bonding together causing weakness therefore, more material for strengthening is required causing waste, compounded by waste caused by off-cuts.

The beverage carton in accordance with the present invention mitigates or obviates the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the present invention is to provide a one-piece beverage carton that is strong, conveniently flattened for storage, and creates little material waste thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

A one-piece beverage carton has two handle panels, two side panels, two fascia panels, a primary bottom panel, a secondary bottom panel and two side bottom panels. The handle panels abut each other and have hand holes formed therethrough. The side panels are formed adjacent to the handle panels and each side panel has a structural strip and two folding strips being shorter than, formed on and folding along opposite edges of the structural strip. The fascia panels have a top edge and are connected to the handle panels by at two partitions formed on and folded against the fascia and handle panels. The bottom panels are formed on and folded against the fascia and side panels to form a bottom of the carton. The beverage carton therefore creates less material waste, is strong and easily folded for storage and transportation.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a one-piece beverage carton in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a net view of the beverage carton in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially assembled, perspective view of the beverage carton in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom perspective view of the beverage carton in FIG. 1, shown partially folded;

FIG. 5 is an operational perspective view of the beverage carton in FIG. 1, shown with beverage bottles; and

FIGS. 6A-6D are operational bottom views of the beverage carton in FIG. 1, showing stages of collapse of the beverage carton.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a one-piece beverage carton in accordance with the present invention comprises a base (10) having two handle panels (15, 50), two side panels (11, 13), four bottom panels (20, 30, 40, 60), two fascia panels (12, 51) and two attaching tabs (55, 513). The panels (15, 50, 11, 13, 20, 30, 40, 60, 12, 51) may be attached using adhesive, riveting, hot bonding or the like.

The handle panels (15, 50) abut each other to form a longitudinal partition of the beverage carton.

The fascia panels (12, 51) and side panels (11, 13) are formed on the handle panels (15,50) and folded to form an exterior of the beverage carton.

The primary bottom panels (20, 30, 40, 60) abut each other to form a bottom of the beverage carton.

A chamber is formed between the bottom panels (20, 30, 40, 60), the fascia panels (12,51) and the side panels (11, 13).

The handle panels (15, 50) are substantially rectangular and each handle panel (15, 50) has a hand hole, two side edges and a bottom edge. The hand hole is formed through the handle panel (15, 50) to enable people to hold the beverage carton easily. One handle panel (50) has an attaching tab (55) formed on the side edge.

With further reference to FIG. 3, the side panels (11, 13) each comprise a structural strip (111, 131), a top folding strip (112, 132) and a bottom folding strip (113, 133). The structural strip (111, 131) has a folding side edge, an attaching side edge and a bottom edge. The attaching side edges of the side panels (11,13) are respectively formed on the side edge of the handle panel (15) and attached to the attaching tab (55) of the handle panel (50). The folding strips (112, 132, 113, 133) are shorter than and are formed on the side edges of the corresponding structural strip (111, 131). The top folding strips (112, 132) are formed on and folded along the folding side edge of the corresponding handle panel (15, 50) and folded along the side edge of the corresponding structural strip (111, 131). The bottom folding strips (113, 133) have a bottom edge and a side edge.

The fascia panels (12, 51) are substantially rectangular and each has a top edge, two partitions (16, 54), a bottom edge, an optional tab mount (512), a structural edge and a folding edge. The partitions (16, 54) may be parallelograms, are formed on and folded against the top edge of the corresponding fascia panel (12, 54) and are formed on and folded against the corresponding handle panel (15, 50). The structural edge is formed on and folded along the corresponding structural strip (111, 131). The folding edge may be formed on and folded along the side edge of the corresponding folding strip (113) or further comprises an attaching tab (513) that is attached to the side edge of the folding strip (133) of the corresponding side panel (13). The tab mount (512) is formed in and is parallel with the bottom edge of the fascia panel (12, 51).

With further reference to FIG. 4, the bottom panels (20, 30, 40, 60) comprise a primary bottom panel (20), a secondary bottom panel (60) and two side bottom panels (30, 40).

The primary bottom panel (20) is formed on and folded along the bottom edge of the corresponding fascia panel (12) and has a top edge, a corner, a bottom edge, two side edges and an optional aligning line (21). The top edge of the primary bottom panel (20) is formed on and folded along the bottom edge of the corresponding fascia panel (12) and has a corner. The corner is adjacent to the side panel (11, 13) and fascia panel (12). The bottom edge has a central segment and an optional securing tab (22). The aligning line (21) is a fold formed from the corner of the primary bottom panel (20) to the central segment of the bottom edge of the primary bottom panel (20). The securing tab (22) is formed on and protrudes from central segment of the bottom edge of the primary bottom panel (20) adjacent to aligning line (21) and is mounted removably in the tab mount (512).

The secondary bottom panel (60) may be a trapezoid, is formed on and folded along the bottom edge of the fascia panel (51).

The side bottom panels (30, 40) are formed on and folded along the bottom edge of the corresponding side panel (11, 13) and each side bottom panel (30, 40) has at least one edge, may be triangular and may further comprise a attaching panel (32, 42). The attaching panel (32, 42) is triangular, is formed on and folded along the edge of the side bottom panel (30, 40) adjacent to the folding edge of the structural strip (111, 131) of the side panel (11, 13). The attaching panels (32, 42) may be attached respectively to the primary bottom panel (20) and the secondary bottom panel (60) and the edges of the side bottom panels (30, 40) with the attaching panels (32, 42) attached to the primary bottom panel (20) is adjacent to the aligning line (21).

With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6A to 6D, the beverage carton can be used to conveniently carry six beverages (70), and the hand holes allow a person to carry the beverage carton with the beverages (70) easily and conveniently. Once the beverage carton is not in use, it can be folded easily and stored flat. When needed again, the beverage carton may be popped open, secured using the securing tab (22) in the tab mount (512) and filled with beverages once more.

The beverage carton as described has the following advantages.

1. The beverage carton is made of one-piece, so manufacture of the beverage carton is easy, less waste is produced, manufacturing costs are reduced yet more strength is provided per thickness of material so end costs of the beverage carton are lowered.

2. The beverage carton can be folded easily and quickly into a small volume, so the space and cost for storing or transporting the beverage carton are reduced

3. A person does not hold the beverage directly so the beverage carton is especially useful for hot or cold liquids and allows the beverage carton to be implemented by and customers or staff to use in many places when one person needs to carry more than one or two beverages including, supermarkets for milk, soft drinks, beer or the like, in bars for beers alco-pops, water and the like, in sports stadiums for carrying cups and bottles or even coffee shops for waiting staff to carry multiple hot cups.

Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and features of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in the details, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed. 

1. A one-piece beverage carton comprising a base having two handle panels abutting each other, being substantially rectangular and each handle panel having a hand hole being formed through the handle panel; two side edges; and a bottom edge; wherein one of the handle panels further comprises an attaching tab formed on one of the side edges on the handle panel; two side panels, each side panel having a structural strip having a folding side edge, an attaching side edges and a bottom edge; a top folding strip being shorter than and formed on and folded along the folding side edge of one of the handle panels; and a bottom folding strip being shorter than and formed on the attaching side edge of the structural strip and having a bottom edge and a side edge; wherein the attaching side edge of the structural strip of one of the side panels is formed on and folded along the side edge of a corresponding one of the handle panels, the attaching edge of the structural strip of the other side panel is attached to the attaching tab of the other handle panel; two fascia panels being substantially rectangular and each fascia panel having a top edge; two partitions being formed on and folded against the top edge of the fascia panel and formed on and folded against a corresponding one of the handle panels; a bottom edge; a structural edge being formed on and folded against the structural edge of a corresponding one of the side panels; and a folding edge; wherein the folding edge of one of the fascia panels is formed on and folded against the side edge of the folding strip of a corresponding side panel, and the folding edge of the other fascia further comprises an attaching tab being attached to the side edge of the folding strip of the other side panel; a primary bottom panel being formed on and folded against one of the fascia panels and having a top edge being formed on and folded along the bottom edge of a corresponding fascia panel; a corner being adjacent to a corresponding one of the side panels and the corresponding fascia panel; and a bottom edge having a central segment; a secondary bottom panel being formed on and folded along the bottom edge of one of the fascia panels; and two side bottom panels being respectively formed on and folded along the bottom edges of the side panels and each having at least one edge.
 2. The beverage carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein the primary bottom panel further has an aligning line being a fold formed from the corner to the central segment of the primary bottom panel to the central segment of the bottom edge of the primary bottom panel; and the side bottom panels are triangular and each further have an attaching panel being triangular, being formed on and folded along the edge of the side bottom panel, and the attaching panels are respectively attached to the primary and secondary bottom panels; wherein the edge of the side bottom panel with the attaching panel attached to the primary bottom panel is adjacent to the aligning line.
 3. The beverage carton as claimed in claim 2, wherein one of the fascia panels further has a tab mount being formed in and being parallel with the bottom edge of the fascia panel; the bottom edge of the primary bottom panel further has a securing tab bring formed on and protruding from the central segment of the bottom edge and mounted removably in the tab mount.
 4. The beverage carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein the partitions are parallelograms.
 5. The beverage carton as claimed in claim 2, wherein the partitions are parallelograms.
 6. The beverage carton as claimed in claim 3, wherein the partitions are parallelograms. 